Method and apparatus for ims application domain selection and mobility

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in which a multimode access terminal, capable of accessing IMS services through a plurality of wireless domains, includes a domain selector for selecting among the plurality of domains based on selection criteria such as RF signal quality, QoS, and pre-configured policies stored in memory.

1 . A method of wireless communication utilizing a multimode access terminal capable of obtaining an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration through at least a first domain and a second domain, the method comprising:
 selecting the first domain or the second domain for an IMS communication session in accordance with at least one selection criterion.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises information in a data structure stored in a memory on the multimode access terminal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the data structure is configured to represent a first priority for the first domain and a second priority for the second domain. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the data structure is further configured to represent policies corresponding to obtaining the IMS registration with the first domain or the second domain. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the policies are preconfigured policies determined by a service provider. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises an availability of the first domain and an availability of the second domain. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal strength of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal-to-interference ratio of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal-to-noise ratio of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the availability of the first and second domain corresponds to whether a characteristic of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively, exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises a quality of service (QoS) corresponding to the first domain and a QoS corresponding to the second domain. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising initiating the IMS communication session in the first domain, and wherein the selecting of the first domain or the second domain comprises selecting the first domain or the second domain during the IMS communication session. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising maintaining the IMS communication session while downgrading an IMS service associated with the IMS communication session when a first QoS associated with the first domain is below a threshold. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising maintaining the IMS communication session while upgrading the IMS service associated with the IMS communication session when the first QoS associated with the first domain exceeds the threshold. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for wireless communication utilizing a multimode access terminal, the apparatus comprising:
 means for obtaining an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration through at least a first domain and a second domain; and   means for selecting the first domain or the second domain for an IMS communication session in accordance with at least one selection criterion.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises information in a data structure stored in a memory on the multimode access terminal. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the data structure is configured to represent a first priority for the first domain and a second priority for the second domain. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the data structure is further configured to represent policies corresponding to obtaining the IMS registration with the first domain or the second domain. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the policies are preconfigured policies determined by a service provider. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises an availability of the first domain and an availability of the second domain. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal strength of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal-to-interference ratio of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal-to-noise ratio of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the availability of the first and second domain corresponds to whether a characteristic of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively, exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises a quality of service (QoS) corresponding to the first domain and a QoS corresponding to the second domain. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , further comprising means for initiating the IMS communication session in the first domain, and wherein the means for selecting the first domain or the second domain comprises means for selecting the first domain or the second domain during the IMS communication session. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , further comprising means for maintaining the IMS communication session while downgrading an IMS service associated with the IMS communication session when a first QoS associated with the first domain is below a threshold. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising means for maintaining the IMS communication session while upgrading the IMS service associated with the IMS communication session when the first QoS associated with the first domain exceeds the threshold. 
     
     
         29 . A computer program product for use in a multimode access terminal, the computer program product comprising:
 a computer-readable medium comprising:
 code for obtaining an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration through at least a first domain and a second domain; and 
 code for selecting the first domain or the second domain for an IMS communication session in accordance with at least one selection criterion. 
   
     
     
         30 . The computer program product of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises information in a data structure stored in a memory on the multimode access terminal. 
     
     
         31 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the data structure is configured to represent a first priority for the first domain and a second priority for the second domain. 
     
     
         32 . The computer program product of  claim 31 , wherein the data structure is further configured to represent policies corresponding to obtaining the IMS registration with the first domain or the second domain. 
     
     
         33 . The computer program product of  claim 32 , wherein the policies are preconfigured policies determined by a service provider. 
     
     
         34 . The computer program product of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises an availability of the first domain and an availability of the second domain. 
     
     
         35 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal strength of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         36 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal-to-interference ratio of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         37 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal-to-noise ratio of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         38 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , wherein the availability of the first and second domain corresponds to whether a characteristic of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively, exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
         39 . The computer program product of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises a quality of service (QoS) corresponding to the first domain and a QoS corresponding to the second domain. 
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 39 , further comprising code for initiating the IMS communication session in the first domain, and wherein the code for selecting the first domain or the second domain comprises code for selecting the first domain or the second domain during the IMS communication session. 
     
     
         41 . The computer program product of  claim 40 , further comprising code for maintaining the IMS communication session while downgrading an IMS service associated with the IMS communication session when a first QoS associated with the first domain is below a threshold. 
     
     
         42 . The computer program product of  claim 41 , further comprising code for maintaining the IMS communication session while upgrading the IMS service associated with the IMS communication session when the first QoS associated with the first domain exceeds the threshold. 
     
     
         43 . An apparatus for wireless communication utilizing a multimode access terminal capable of obtaining an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration through at least a first domain and a second domain, the apparatus comprising:
 a processing system configured to select the first domain or the second domain for an IMS communication session in accordance with at least one selection criterion.   
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises information in a data structure stored in a memory on the multimode access terminal. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein the data structure is configured to represent a first priority for the first domain and a second priority for the second domain. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the data structure is further configured to represent policies corresponding to obtaining the IMS registration with the first domain or the second domain. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein the policies are preconfigured policies determined by a service provider. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises an availability of the first domain and an availability of the second domain. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal strength of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal-to-interference ratio of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the availability of one of the first domain or the second domain comprises a signal-to-noise ratio of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively. 
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the availability of the first and second domain corresponds to whether a characteristic of an RF signal corresponding to the first domain or the second domain, respectively, exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the at least one selection criterion comprises a quality of service (QoS) corresponding to the first domain and a QoS corresponding to the second domain. 
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , further comprising initiating the IMS communication session in the first domain, and wherein the selecting of the first domain or the second domain comprises selecting the first domain or the second domain during the IMS communication session. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 54 , further comprising maintaining the IMS communication session while downgrading an IMS service associated with the IMS communication session when a first QoS associated with the first domain is below a threshold. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 55 , further comprising maintaining the IMS communication session while upgrading the IMS service associated with the IMS communication session when the first QoS associated with the first domain exceeds the threshold. 
     
     
         57 . A processing system for use in a multimode access terminal capable of obtaining an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration through at least a first domain and a second domain, the processing system comprising:
 a memory module for storing domain policies;   an RF measurement module for retrieving RF signal information associated with the first domain and the second domain;   a QoS manager for retrieving QoS information associated with the first domain and the second domain; and   a domain selector for selecting one of the first domain or the second domain in response to the RF signal information, the QoS information, and the domain policies.